Foyer (entrance room)for T14

[Leandortree]

Stop porch domination on a T14 immediately!
Porch domination can be a problem with a T14! If you see a dominant martin pair controlling a 3 or 4 hole section (unit) of your T14 you have porch domination this can last for weeks or even a whole season. The dominant pair will drive off any and all new investigating martins, and leave you a unhappy landlord .STOP that with a FOYER (entrance room) once built the Foyer can be installed in a few minutes, and the porch domination stops immediately .If you live in a Martin rich environment your T14 will be 100% occupied in just a few days or overnight.
Let's build a Foyer for a four (4) hole unit it's easy. We are going to build a box that fits over all the porches on the 4 hole section.
I use 1/8 inch birch plywood and 3/4x3/4 inch center cut for corner braces glued and nailed in to support corners and the length of the box.
I use Gorilla glue, and cigar box nails about .5 or 5/8 Th. inch long very tiny.
The following instructions are to fit Andrew Troyer's original T14 design.
The porches are 4x7.5 inches so the width of our box will be 7/3/4inch
To find the length place a Ruler on the bottom porch of your 4 hole unit flush with the bottom of the porch now open the door all the way, you want the box to be about 1/8inch short of the eve on the roof's edge, you want to be able to open your door when the Foyer is in place .I am in China now so I don't have a T14 in front of me. The length will be 26 plus inches? Check it for yourself before cutting it out.
The bottom and top of our foyer is 4x7 3/4 inch.
Now we have a hinge side and hook side both are 4x26 plus inches?
I use round holes for my T14's you can use whatever you chose, on the hook side we will cut a entrance for the top cavity 1inch above the T14 porch and we will add a little porch about 3.5 x3.5 inches 1 inch below our foyer entrance hole .Now go down to the 3rd cavity and cut the entrance 1 inch above the T14's porch and again add a 3.5x3.5 porch 1inch below the entrance hole.
Now on the hinge side cut a entrance hole for the 2nd cavity from the top of your T14 cut the hole 1inch above the T14's porch and add a 3.5x3.5 porch 1inch below the entrance hole for your Foyer. Now cut a hole for the bottom cavity 1inch above the T14's porch add a 3.5x3.5 inch porch 1 inch below the entrance to your Foyer.
Now glue and nail it all together and paint it to your liking.
To mount this to Your T14 use 4 tiny nails nail it to the T14's porch, the Foyer will need to stay in place for the season!
To all Martin Landlords have a great Martin year

[flyin-lowe]

Do you have any photos of the finished product. I have had martins living in a T14 for 3 seasons now and so far I have not had porch domination issues. I am not sure if it matters or not but I stagged my entrances back and forth. The bottom is on the far left side and the next one up is far right, etc.

[Dale D]

flyin-lowe,

Like you in my case I have used T-10 which is just smaller version of the T-14 houses for years now, but I have never had a porch dominate issue at my site. Guess some people have the problem. Now my first year I used a Heath style 12 room side by side that I built that had domination issues.

[barry resvick]

I Think i understand what your trying to say,but myself,i have a very hard time sometimes visualizing things.If you could post some pics of your foyer room i would love to have this handy device in my arsenal

[rdhd]

I

[RC Moser]

Some of us that make T14 style housing off set the entry holes front, right, left, sides of that row and the opposite on the ajoining rows. Two or three things happens the entries are far enough apart where you don't have this problem. The cavity is now hidden due to 3/4 entries are L shaped configuration. MMMMMMMMMMMmmmm can't think of the third?????? or maybe just two things.....

I could see if you brought one that had all the holes in the front door (outdated design IMO) this would be an excellent upgrade.....

Want to see the most modern and near prefect T14 style housing IMO. Search out the GHOST style T-14 Designed by MR. Fecker You get it all in his up to date modifications.

[Leandortree]

Flyin-Lowe , Barry ,
I have no photos with me at this time, I'm not at home .I will try to get some on here in the spring April
RC Moser ,
I'm familiar with Mr. Fecker's Ghost style T14, I like it very much.
The Foyer is designed for Andrew Troyer's original T14 design, it adds the L shaped entry you see in The Ghost house, but separate from the nesting chamber. The Purple Martins love this addition.
Thank you for your comment regarding this upgrade.

[barry resvick]

Thanks for all the great tips.I just tried to do a search on the ghost style t-14 by Mr. Fecker but came up empty.Is he a Member here?

[Louise Chambers]

Barry, here's a link to previous threads, photos:

http://www.purplemartin.org/forum/viewt ... 320#182320

of course, the best way to receive all the helpful tips and innovations is to become a PMCA member and receive the Update four times a year I know many of you are members but for those new to the PMCA, thought it would be good to mention membership.